Water-Wise Plants and Design for Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, we’re recycling our favorite articles on water-wise garden design. This collection of eco-friendly articles includes information about plants that are drought-tolerant yet still add color and texture to the garden, and ideas for arranging environmentally-conscious plants into your design.

'QUEEN VICTORIA' CENTURY PLANTAgave victoriae-reginae is a striking, slow-growing cactus that may take as long as 40 years to flower. It’s best grown alone and away from paths because of its sharp leaf tips.

'LAVANCE PURPLE’ LAVENDER Lavandula angustifolia is a dwarf lavender that can grow 18 inches high, making it a good choice for edging. It has deep purple flowers and greenish-gray, very aromatic foliage.

COPPER CANYON DAISYTagetes lemmonii is an airy plant with pale-green to deep-green foliage and a distinctive scent. It can reach a height of three to six feet at maturity and has deep yellow flowers that appear from September to November.

PINK MUHLY GRASSMuhlenbergia capillaris is a drought-tolerant grass that produces a spectacular bloom of billowy, pinkish flowers in the fall. It works well planted en masse in a border—either on its own or mixed with other drought- and sun-loving perennials.

If you're enjoying this article, make sure you don’t miss our related sections in Garden Design magazine including Plant Palette, which provides detailed how-to-grow information on specific plants and how to design with them; and Landscape Solutions, which presents an in-depth look at how design techniques were used to resolve a specific problem—like designing an outdoor space in drought and desert regions.